Hi my name is Kaila Collins, and I was fortunate enough to volunteer in a hospital in Cusco Peru for a month through Projects Abroad. Every day, the group of volunteers completed about 4 hours of work in the hospital (Clinica Pardo) alongside 4 other volunteers, helping patients, nurses and assisting doctors. I observed multiple operations, including a hysterectomy, c-sections, a gallbladder removal, and amputations. Projects Abroad delivered medical workshops and once a week we ventured on an outreach to the more rural parts of Cusco.
We visited a lot of historical places and did recreational activities, including but not limited to Machu Picchu, The Rainbow Mountains, Inca sites and Spanish churches. Projects Abroad also exposed us to the Peruvian culture by providing cooking lessons, salsa lessons and taking us around to try local cuisine and activities. By the end of my trip, I had eaten guinea pig, cow heart, deep fried pig, liver and a yellow chilli sauce and loads of potatoes.
However, at the end of my trip, I realised how little access the Peruvian hospitals have to good medication and anaesthetic. Poverty in Peru is rife. Not only this but the lifestyle of Peru is so much different to what I am used to in Australia. Even simple things like safe drinking water, heating, hot water and toilets that can flush paper are not common in Peru.
The trip taught me a lot about how fortunate I am to live in Australia and to have access to such good education and amenities. This experience has been so good for me, teaching me so much about healthcare and the Peruvian lifestyle. I loved my host family and all the experiences I have gained from this trip! It has broadened my global perspective of the world.
I definitely recommend others to do something like this as well, whether it be through Projects Abroad or even be involved in a local volunteering program. This trip has been an inspirational experienced and I will keep the friends, knowledge and memories I have made for the rest of my life.
...article written by Kaila Collins, Year 11